Don't Say Geek! Say Syntux!

We have been working on Ubuntu Arabic silently to merge all of the scattered Ubuntu related efforts in Arabia to establish one solid good team and I guess we just did it and we just reached phase zero. (Yes, we were working in minus degree).

First, we merged with ubuntu-alarabi.net and now waiting to hear from arabuntu.org, we are so excited and we want to put all possible efforts on this team.

Our goals includes but are not limited to the following

• Handling Arabic Support on discussion forum, mailing list IRC and LP answers.
• Provide hosting to Ubuntu LoCo Teams in Arabia and giving them all kind of possible help
• Translating available contributor guides to Arabic to get the more contributors from Arabia (Now we are working on new translators guide) next might be MOTU
• Taking Arabic translation into higher level, currently we have 165 translator, 266742 untranslated strings which make the status %64 untranslated.
• Providing Arab users with apps that doesn’t exists yet in official repositories in our PPA

We still need lots of time to get in shape and this is just the start, our team still small and of course we are in need for any tiny contribution, if you are interested in helping please join us

Website: http://Ubuntu-Arabic.org/
Blog: http://Ubuntu-Arabic.org/blog
Mailing list: http://lists.ubuntu.com/Ubuntu-Arabic
Launchpad: https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-arabic
Related Projects: Ubuntu Arabic Website – Stardict English Arabic dictionary
PPA: Ubuntu Arabic Personal Package Archive
Wiki: http://wiki.Ubuntu-Arabic.org/
Discussion Forums: Temporarly Ubuntu-Arabic.org/forum but soon we are moving to forum.Ubuntu-Arabic.org

IRC Channel: #Ubuntu-Arabic on Freenode network
IRC Bot – Ubuntu-Arabic / Arabot

The team would like to thank Kuwaitnet.net for sponsoring us with a one year dedicated server and a life time license of vBulletin (They are hosting the Arabic Open CD too!) , we also would like to thank DirectAdmin ControlPanel for sponsoring us with a life time license which will make it easier to provide Arabia’s LoCo teams with hosting.

Thank you Kuwaitnet and DirectAdmin, without your help things would be very tough on us.

Tags: english arabic dictionary, untranslated strings, tiny contribution, package archive, arabic website, arabic , support, arabic translation, personal package, time license, phase zero, irc channel, stardict, forum mailing, controlpanel, launchpad, ppa, org forum, life time, repositories, loco

Wow, I just noticed that I did not blog since 14 of June, anyway here is a quick update of what I’m currently involved in and what making me really busy

1. Ubuntu Arabic Team Finally our website is up and running but our road map still have loads of todos to get in shape
2. We’re about to finalize remaining legal issues regarding National Open Source office
3. I started to hate programming or is it programmer pms?
4. A small network solutions based on Ubuntu in the Kingdom received a threat and some sort of bribe discounts to sell Microsoft products instead which means we have a task for the National Open Source Office lawyer, oh we don’t have a lawyer yet!
5. I should blog about my MOTU journey
6. I should find a way to organize my mental state with the loads of different type of works
7. Jordan LoCo is idle in summer, believe me it’s too hot out there to do any kind of activities.
8. Cycling to the lowest point on earth during summer is a bad idea!

Tags: lowest point on earth, network solutions, microsoft products, bribe, road map, bad idea, loco, programmer, lawyer, open source, journey, jordan, shape, microsoft

Amman, March 13th 2008 -Ubuntu Jordan LoCo Team.
As part of Ubuntu Jordan LoCo Team continuous efforts to spread awareness about GNU/Linux in the Kingdom, the team organized a public event at The University of Jordan in Cooperation with IEEE Student Branch. Mr. Khamis SekSik gave a lecture Introducing FLOSS in the Jordanian way, as well as a brief background of FLOSS history.

In addition, the lecture included Mr.Seksik explaining some reasons to use FLOSS Jordan, as well as comparing selling service VS selling software, and comparing backward compatibility issues between FLOSS and other software.

Other issues discussed by Mr.Sisek were the ethical reasons to use FLOSS. The argument is that using proprietary software without paying for it equal theft and as such is unethical. In many ways, Mr.Siksek highlighted, choosing the right software is a very important decision because it affects time, effort, and money invested in this software.

Following the lecture, a number of Ubuntu Jordan LoCo helped in setting up the FIRST Ubuntu Lab in The University of Jordan.

It is worth mentioning that next week Ubuntu Jordan LoCo Team is scheduled to start giving Ubuntu Desktop Courses in cooperation with Jordan University IEEE Student Branch.

Tags: desktop courses, jordan university, university of jordan, continuous efforts, compatibility issues, backward compatibility, gnu linux, khamis, right software, selling software, floss, time effort, proprietary software, ubuntu, amman, loco, siksek, cooperation, linux, money

Yesterday we had a very energetic LoCo meeting and we decided to have a fixed monthly schedule

• Monthly FLOSS introductory lecture
• Monthly Ubuntu Desktop Course
• Monthly Ubuntu Installation Festival

This month we will do it at Jordan University and I’m so excited about it but that’s just the kick start of what we are planning to do.

I’ll keep this blog updated about LoCo Team activities and plans in the Kingdom, so stay tuned!

Tags: Course, Desktop, floss, introductory lecture, jordan university, kick start, loco, ubuntu, jordan university, introductory lecture, kick start, floss, loco, blog